THE COLOSSI OF MEMNON

The Colossi of Memnon are located on the West bank of the River Nile in Luxor. They are two massive (18 meters tall) stone statues representing the Pharaoh Amenhotep III. There are two smaller statues carved next to his legs - these are statues of his wife Tiy and mother Mutemwiya. Unfortunately, due to natural factors, including an earthquake, both statues are in poor condition and their features are barely recognizable.

There were visible attempts to reconstruct the statues during the Roman Empire. Each statue has different inscriptions, yet it is thought these are twin statues. The major function of the statues was to guard the entrance to Amenhotep’s mortuary temple, where the Pharaoh was worshipped as a god before and after his death. At that time the temple complex was the largest in the whole of Egypt.